


It's Not Dumb

by Chinchilla_7



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marvin's co-workers are just dicks, other than that everything is okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 16:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14047881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chinchilla_7/pseuds/Chinchilla_7
Summary: Marvin has a bit of a special interest with chess. He'll find himself rambling to the nearest person who wants to hear what he has to say. Unfortunately, the people who he was rambling to, didn't actually want to listen.





	It's Not Dumb

Marvin loves chess.

He absolutely adores everything about the game. The challenges that arise depending on who he was playing against. The different strategies that a person can use. There were some many possible outcomes while playing. No two games were every exactly the same. That kept the game interesting. The amount of focus that is needed to play a game wa-

“Are you done yet?” His co-worker cut Marvin’s rambling off.

“What?” Marvin asked, having not realized that he was talking so much. He didn't even remember how they got on the subject of chess. It just happened… and normally he was with Whizzer, who was more than happy to lend his ear and listen to whatever Marvin had to say.

Right now, however, his work buddies seemed less than enthused.

“Are you done talking about your dumb game? Some of us have work to do,” his co-worker asked again, lightly huffing, “If I knew you were gonna go off on some tangent like that, I would've never brought chess up.”

Marvin frowned and shrunk back and shrugged, “sorry. I just… I like chess,” he mumbled quietly.

“Yeah, no shit Sherlock. But don't you think you're a little… I dunno… over the top about it? I mean, it's just a dumb game.”

There was that word again. ‘Dumb’. Was chess really that dumb? Marvin didn't think it was. His only response was a shrug in response and a small, “I'll just get back to work, I guess.”

He didn't say anything else at work that day.

***

“Hey baby. How was work?” Whizzer's voice was the first thing to greet Marvin when he walked through the door.

Instead of responding with his normal smile, Marvin asked his own question. “Is chess dumb?” He asked, looking at Whizzer with a small frown.

The question threw Whizzer off for a moment. He raised an eyebrow, “Wha-”

“Is chess dumb?” Marvin asked again, wanting an answer.

Whizzer thought for a moment before shrugging, “I mean, it's fine. You need to be kinda smart to play it if that's what you mean,” he answered, standing up to approach Marvin, “why?”

Before Whizzer could reach him, Marvin moved away and headed to their bedroom, “just… there was just a thing. It's not important,” he lied.

Whizzer just stood in place and watched Marvin leave the room, “O-ok…” he said, a little confused, “also, Jason's coming tonight,” he called after Marvin. He knew that Marvin was prone to forget.

Marvin just wished that Jason wasn't coming.

***

“Hey dad, can we play chess?” Jason asked, smiling at Marvin. The three had been sitting on the couch watching some television when Jason asked. 

Marvin just sighed and shook his head, “sorry kiddo, I'm not in the mood.”

Both Jason and Whizzer turned to stare at Marvin. He never turned down a game of chess with anyone. So something was obviously wrong. 

“Marv, are you ok?” Whizzer asked softly, voice laced with concern.

Marvin shrugged and nodded, “Fine… just not in the mood,” he answered quietly. There was something in his voice, however, that said otherwise.

Whizzer's mouth formed a frown. He stood up, grabbing Marvin's hand, and headed into their kitchen, “we’ll be back in a sec, kid,” he told Jason, who nodded.

Once the two were in the kitchen, Marvin wanted to just go back into the living room. “Whiz, I'm-”

“No. No you're not. I know you. And you never turn down chess,” Whizzer cut the man off before he could finish his statement, “what happened? Ever since you got home, you've been acting off. Talk to me,” he said softly.

Marvin sighed, looked down at the floor, and shrugged, “it's dumb…”

Whizzer shook his head, “Whatever it is, I promise, it won't be dumb.”

Marvin looked back up to look at Whizzer, “you sure?” He asked quietly.

Whizzer smiled and nodded, so Marvin took a deep breath and started talking.

“Ok, so today, I don't remember how but a few co-workers and I got on the topic of chess. And you know how I get when I talk about chess… well, at one point, one of them was annoyed with it and just… I dunno he just… he called me over the top for liking a dumb game… so I got upset since chess means a lot to me and someone calling it dumb just doesn't sit with me I guess… so that's why I asked and why I don't want to play… I figured I should tone it down…”

Whizzer felt his frown grow as Marvin explained what happened. He shook his head at the end, “no, you don't need to tone it down. It's ok that you like chess so much and it's not a dumb game. The guy was probably annoyed that you have actual happiness in your life,” he said, trying to joke a little to lighten the mood.

It worked, Marvin cracked a small smile. “You think so?” He asked quietly.

Whizzer nodded encouragingly, “I know so. Now, did you want to go play chess with your son?” 

Marvin smiled and nodded, “Yeah… thank you,” he said quietly, leaning over to give Whizzer a quick kiss before heading out to the living room, “Hey, kiddo, changed my mind! I'll grab the board!”


End file.
